Is a new event center a possibility for West Bend?

Developers are looking to bring an event center to West Bend. The area they have in mind is the south end of the former Gehl Co. property.

“I’m already doing the hotel and office building at the corner of Water Street and S. Forest Avenue and just south of that will be the event center and to the west of that will be an 80-unit apartment building,” said developer James Kupfer.

Kupfer and is daughter Bailey Kupfer met with city officials earlier this month.

It was Sept. 29, 2019 when an announcement was made about a new Marriott TownPlace 68-suite hotel and office building in downtown West Bend. The location of the development was the former Gehl Co. property.

Kupfer said after the hotel and office building development there will be about four acres left to the south on the Gehl parcel and that’s where he’s proposing an 80 unit, 3-story apartment building with an elevator and a 12,500-square-foot event center.

“We’ve been looking to build the event center for a number of years,” said Kupfer. “Most event centers will draw people from a 50-mile radius and Washington County doesn’t have any real, premium event centers. There are places that hold events using some other business like a restaurant or bowling alley or a club or a church that has a hall, but the trend now is to build a space that’s dedicated to events.”

Kupfer acknowledged there are large, 40,000 to 50,000-square-foot facilities in the area but he said an event center can accommodate the needs of a 25-year-old millennial bride.

“The event center will have amenities like a private room to retreat to so the bride or groom can get ready,” he said.  “An exhibition hall or large place is sometimes much too large and you feel like you’re in a warehouse. We will be specifically built for events and we’ll cater to 80 to 90 percent of weddings.”

Kupfer said he picked the location south of the Marriott TownPlace Hotel specifically to drive occupancy.

“I also own the Hampton Inn on the other side of West Bend and I get a weekly report that shows the business we turn away. This week there were 8 – 10 events we had to turn away because we were already booked,” he said.

A feasibility study has already been completed and Kupfer said he “sees the demand” and “there’s definitely demand for weekend leisure business.”

Parcel to the south on former Gehl Co. property with Forest Avenue to the east and the Eisenbahn State Trail will be to the west.

For the multi-family, Kupfer said that would be a niche development as well. “There’s no true apartment that’s attractive to the millennial,” he said. “We’re doing 60 percent one-bedroom apartments and 40 percent two-bedroom apartments. Amenities will include an exercise room, community room, underground parking.”

Kupfer alluded to the City of West Bend having a couple of development plans on the table for that same parcel. However, he said he already had equity and financing in place.

City Administrator Jay Shambeau declined comment because discussions about the project, from the City standpoint, were held in closed session. Shambeau did indicate Kupfer was probably correct about multiple plans in the mix.

One plan that is now off the table is the active senior living complex that was proposed in June 2019.  Nick Novaczyk, with RTN Development, said the timing for that project just didn’t work out and they backed off.

Kupfer predicted more information on the proposed event center would probably be made available within the next few weeks.

Public meeting March 19 for WIS 60 rehabilitation

There’s a pretty significant road project starting in April 2020. It will include Highway 60 from Eagle Drive in the Village of Jackson to WIS 181 in Grafton. The traffic detour is posted below. Construction is expected to last into September 2020. An informational meeting is Thursday, March 19 from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Cedarburg Town Hall, 1293 Washington Avenue, Cedarburg.

Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School rolls out virtual education plan

Education leaders at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School in Jackson are unveiling the school’s virtual learning program in an effort to keep students on their path to reach educational goals in the 2019 – 2020 school year.

Administration shared the letter below with students and parents.

Dear KML Family,

Governor Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services have issued a statement requiring the closure of all public and private schools in Wisconsin.

KML will have normal face-to-face school on Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17. There will be no face-to-face instruction at KML beginning Wednesday, March 18.  All co-curricular activities are suspended as of Monday, March 16 through Sunday, April 5.

KML will be transitioning to virtual learning, and we will share that plan with parents and students prior to Wednesday, March 18. We are planning to resume face-to-face instruction and co-curricular activities on Monday, April 6.

At this time, we are also canceling the following events:

Sacred Concert – Tuesday, March 17, Donkey Basketball – Saturday, March 21, Family Music Fest – Friday, March 27

In all things, we trust in God’s care and protection.  Please join us in praying for those affected by this virus and the medical professionals who are caring for those infected.  Pray for our students who may be struggling. Pray that we, as a family of believers, can be beacons of hope in a difficult time to point others to Christ and His saving work for mankind.

Private School Choice Programs

During the 2020-2021 school year, KML will once again participate in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP) and the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP).

As part of the application process, students new to the Choice Program must provide proof of income and residency documentation. Continuing Choice students only need to provide residency documentation.

Open enrollment for WPCP is February 3-April 16. Open enrollment for MPCP is February 3-20, March 1-20 & April 1-20. All required supporting documentation must be received by KML during the open enrollment periods.

KML was accepted as a WPCP school beginning in the 2015-2016 school year and entered the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) in the 2016-2017 school year. We are excited to offer the opportunity for families who qualify to receive a voucher from the State of Wisconsin to pay for their children’s tuition.

WI Department of Instruction Website

In order to apply, you will need either your 2019 federal tax return (first two pages of Form 1040; signed and dated) or your Social Security Number. We recommend using the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Process of income verification rather than the Department of Revenue (DOR) method especially if your financial circumstances have changed over the last several years.

After you apply online, you will need to provide proof of residency and proof of income documentation to our office at KML. Proof of residency is typically a utility or phone bill. Proof of income is typically your federal tax return. The WI DPI will give you a full list of acceptable documentation.

Milwaukee and Wisconsin Parental Choice Program Income Limits (For families living in any city or town other than Milwaukee or Racine. Also note that $7,000 is subtracted from your Adjusted Gross Income if you are married.)

Presentation Explaining the Application Process (This presentation explains eligibility requirements and how to apply.) For more information, contact Principal Jamie Luehring 262-677-4051 x1104; jamie.luehring@kmlhs.org

Regal Ware announces recipients of 2020 J.O. Reigle Scholarships

Emma Penfield and Faith Mertzig are the latest recipients of the J.O. Reigle Scholarships awarded annually by Regal Ware. The scholarship program was established in 1963 in honor of Regal Ware’s founder, the late J.O. Reigle.

The award recognizes the outstanding scholastic achievements of one or more graduating high school seniors in Kewaskum and is designed to assist the recipients in their pursuit of a college education. To be eligible for the $28,000 J.O. Reigle Scholarship a student must have attended Kewaskum High School for at least the previous two years and maintained at least a “B” average for the first 3½ years of high school.

Emma, the daughter of Brian and Marcy Penfield of Kewaskum, plans to major in Biology. Emma served in leadership roles in Student Council and National Honor Society. She was also a member of KEY Club, Spanish Club, HOPE Club, Forensics, and Freshman Mentors. Her community involvement includes attending the Wisconsin Association of Student Council (WASC) Leadership camp and being a tutor for Math and English students. Emma’s leisure time interests include running, hiking, swimming and time with family.

Faith, daughter of John and Tina Mertzig of Campbellsport, plans to attend St. Norbert College to study Elementary Education. Faith has served in leadership roles in National Honor Society, Academic Bowl, Badger Girls’ State, Global Education and HOPE Club. Her community involvement includes serving on the leadership team of Four ThirTeen Youth Ministry and helping as an aide at Holy Trinity Religious Education, Good News for Children and Women of Grace Childcare. Her hobbies include reading, running, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends.

Four basketball players from UWM at Washington County receive post-season awards | By Debbie Butschlick

Four basketball players from UWM at Washington County have earned post-season accolades from Wisconsin Collegiate Conference.

UWM at Washington County student athlete David Britton has been voted Conference Player of the Year. Britton is the perfect example of hard work paying off. Britton made 1st team All-Conference for the second year in a row.  He averaged 35 points per game, 11.5 rebounds per game, and 4.0 assists per game.  He was a scoring machine tallying over 30 points over 10 different games. Britton also scored over 40 points three times and had a season high 54 points against UWO at Fox Cities.  Britton shot over 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc, and 85 percent from the free throw line.  Britton grew as a team leader this season.  His work ethic and maturity were constant for the team.

Madison Aubry blossomed as a player this year for the Wildcats women’s basketball team.  The starting point guard was voted 1st team All-Conference. Aubry lead the team to a final four appearance for only the second time in the last 20+ years.  Aubry lead the team in scoring during the second semester. She averaged 13.7 points per game and over 6 rebounds per game from the guard position.  She played her best game under the biggest lights and scored a season-high 20 points during the final four game.  Aubry was as fierce as she was talented.  Her competitiveness and drive to succeed was second to none.

Freshmen Seth Perez and Zach Smith were voted Honorable Mention to the All-Conference team. Perez was also voted to the All-Defensive Team and was runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year.  Perez was the second leading scorer for the Wildcats averaging 17.8 points per game.  As an undersized guard, he averaged over six rebounds per game and lead the team with 2.6 steals per game.  Smith averaged 16.3 points per game and was second on the team with 7.6 rebounds per game.  Smith had a season high 30 points in the Wildcats first game after Christmas break.  Both players were major contributors to the team’s success.  Combined with Britton’s scoring, the trio combined for over 80 percent of the team’s points per game.

Fatal accident in Germantown under investigation      By Germantown Police Department

On Friday, March 13, 2020 Germantown Communications received a 911 emergency call from a worker at International Concrete Products. The caller reported that a large concrete panel had fallen on a worker and that the worker was still trapped under the piece of concrete.

The Germantown Fire Department/Rescue and Germantown Police Department were dispatched. Upon the arrival of first responders, workers were moving the piece of concrete. Personnel from the Germantown Rescue Department determined the worker was deceased.

This matter is still under investigation and no further information will be released at this time.

Bond set at $500,000 for Town of Kewaskum woman facing possible homicide charge

A $500,000 cash bond has been set in Washington County Circuit Court for a 50-year-old Town of Kewaskum woman in connection with the death of a 43-year-old man this week at a home on County Highway H.

According to reports from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department the woman was arrested Monday, March 11 for the alleged homicide of her husband. The death reportedly occurred during a domestic dispute.

During the bail hearing Judge Todd Martens said “there was probable cause” that the woman did “commit a crime.”

In an effort for the state to finalize its charging decision the next hearing will be March 27 at 11:15 a.m. No charges were issued during the Friday, March 13 court appearance.

According to the Washington County Sheriff, deputies were called to the home on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at 9:20 a.m. after receiving a 911 call from the suspect.  The suspect was arrested at the scene without incident.  The deceased victim was located inside the home by the first responding officers. The preliminary investigation suggests he suffered a stab wound during the altercation.

The woman accused in the case is currently being held at the Washington County Jail.

The Sheriff said the incident is still under investigation as they await the results of the autopsy.

The sheriff’s office requested charges of 1st-degree intentional homicide. “Our office has been working closely with the Washington County District Attorney’s Office to maintain the integrity of the investigation,” said Sheriff Martin Schulteis.

The sheriff’s office would like to thank the Kewaskum Police and Fire Department, the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Washington County Medical Examiner’s Office for the assistance in this investigation.

West Bend H.S. band trip to Italy canceled because of “international health concerns”

The West Bend School Board voted Monday, March 9 on a list of extended trips for students. This June, high school band students were prepping to go to Italy. According to board documents “a revised band trip that will occur in June of 2020.  This trip is rescheduled due to international health concerns.”

According to the World Health Organization the Italian government has issued a quarantine of northern Italy and it’s implementing a lockdown on tourism. The measures are tied to attempts to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

It appears the board will vote Monday to approve a band trip this June to Hawaii.

Background:

Students in our High Schools have the opportunity to participate in a variety of experiences to extend and apply their learning which require travel outside the State of Wisconsin or even outside of the United States.  As in past years teachers and co-curricular coaches are seeking opportunities to take students to the following locations during the 2020-21 school year. The trips on this list are those that have yet to be approved by the school board.

High school administrators have met with the staff proposing the trips to verify information required and. Building and district administration have reviewed the details of the trip relative to the Board policies and Administrative Rule 352.1 and support the participation in these experiences.  It should be noted that 352.1 AR includes procedures to review the status of the trip at least 25 days prior to departure.

This request for approval also includes a revised band trip that will occur in June of 2020.  This trip is rescheduled due to international health concerns.

West Bend School Board to vote on updating science textbook

On Monday, March 9 the West Bend School Board will vote on updating science textbook.

There was a curriculum update, February 24, presented by Kevin Hyde, Laura Jackson, Robert Muelbauer, and Timothy Harder.

Members of the community were invited to give feedback and the topic generating the most comments involved the new science textbooks.

Instructor Muelbauer said several science teachers from the high school had gone on learning walks and there was a lot of discussion about Badger and Silverbrook.

“We were at Silverbook looking at the amplified curriculum and how they interacted with science and eventually we’ll get those kids through Badger and at the high school but currently we’re dealing with some textbooks that are 15, 18, and 20 years maybe since we’ve gotten a new one and in no way does it resemble the way they would interact with the primary resource at those grade levels,” said Muelbauer. “So, that’s part of the main driver of wow we need to really up our game here to meet the kids where they’re at and so we can build them from there.”

Laura Jackson said the board will be asked to purchase the textbooks on March 9.

“All of the major textbook companies will have a biology-specific textbook,” said Jackson. “There’s also a way to purchase unit by unit.”

“Our state standard testing for science has been very high,” said board  member Kurt Rebholz. “So obviously there’s been many right decisions along the lines for many years to select the right curriculum to prepare our students for their next level.”

There was community feedback from a handful of neighbors. “We tried to make it as convenient for parents as possible and nobody showed up but at night five community members were there,” said Jackson. “The comments related to the textbook are below.”

Jackson clarified the meeting times for the public to review the potential new Biology instructional resource: Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020 from 6:45 a.m. – 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. “There was a late night meeting by request,” said Jackson.

“The times selected were intended when parents were coming to pick up or drop off students so they could potentially stay a little longer and hopefully make that work for them,” said Jackson.

The textbook being reviewed was over 100 pages in length and there was supplementary resource also available for review which includes a student journal or a glossary of terms. “Generally we have a window of time so people can choose to spend as much time as they want. Some end up coming back.”

Jackson said several notifications went out about the book review time: “Student information system sends a biweekly newsletter to families; it goes to every family in the district unless a family has blocked it. That email total is in the thousands. It also went to school messenger through Badger families and high school families – freshman and sophomore. The number of student families receiving that would be in the thousands. A notification was also posted on the district Facebook page, so the general public would be notified.” Jackson did not know how many times that notification was posted.

Questioned about how encouraging it was to send out notification to thousands and have five people participate. “That turnout is pretty consistent,” said Jackson. ”

The board asked no questions about the specific community feedback.

A couple bullet points on topic:

– Jackson said the “public comments (above) will be shared with the teachers when they begin training.”

– Jackson addressed the parent concerns. “We have evidence our glaciers are melting or pieces are falling off and when you look historically we have had changes we refer to as ice ages and stuff like that over the history of the earth, where we have evidence of glaciers coming down. It is theory and it is presented as a theory,” said Jackson. “I’m going to have to look at the resource and look at the standards.”

– “If this resource purchase is approved then we will move forward with our training and we will look at if we’ll tweak any of our sections and provide specific evidence or are we going to handle it as is,” said Jackson.

– Jackson said instructors would be trained “partially in June and partially in August.”

– After the meeting Muelbauer said he didn’t have time for a couple questions because he was hungry.

-Board member Paul Fischer said he had not seen the textbook in question, however he was traveling out of state and would catch up on his return.

-Board member Chris Zywgart said he had not seen the textbook nor the parent comments.

-Emails were sent to the rest of the board and as of 10 p.m. Sunday there was no response.

-The board will vote Monday, March 9 on the textbooks. Jackson said the input review from the community was posted in the board members Board Docs information.

-The board votes to approve the text as the resource and the dollars,” said Jackson. “It’s not typical for the board to have physically reviewed all the textbooks. You call around and ask other districts and other school boards; do they actually sit down and review the textbooks. Only those who ask, that’s typical. They’re approving the resource and they’re trusting their admin to move forward with a resource that will meet the student need.”

Jackson also noted, the question below that was in student learning material has been addressed and removed.

“The Problem: Mr. and Mrs. Jones have been married eighty years. During this time, Mrs. Jones has had three children. Recently Mr. Jones found out that Mrs. Jones has been secretly dating another man, Mr. Smith, throughout their marriage. Mr. Jones now questions if he is truly the father of the three children. Using a blood sample from Mr. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mr. Smith, and each of the three children, determine if any of the three children are Mr. Smith’s, and not Mr. Jones’.

Letter to the Editor | Oscar Estrada for District 7 alderman in West Bend | By Derek Brzeski

To whom it may concern,

I spent 26 years growing up in West Bend; Fair Park Elementary, Badger Middle School, and am a proud West Bend West Spartan – class of 2004. Through those years I had the pleasure of watching the city grow and flourish. I still remember when the highway exit for Paradise Drive was nothing but farm fields.  Years later, well into my professional career, I had the privilege of working with Oscar Estrada as part of Continuous Improvement team for a food manufacturing company. Oscar was not only the Director of my team spanning 7 plants, but also a coach and a mentor for me.

During that time, Oscar’s strengths and leadership skills were showcased. These strengths were grounded in leadership, problem solving, and people skills.

Oscar was able to lead teams from shop-floor employees to senior leadership, from small to large group sizes, and from many different cultural backgrounds. Leading these teams required identifying and utilizing each and everyone’s strengths as well as motivating the teams to work together to reach a common goal. To solve a problem and drive bottom line cost savings both creating stability and growth potential for a company.  Oscar had the innate ability to keep people motivated and build excitement and eagerness for change.  To build trust and relationships.

These skills are found in strong Six Sigma professionals, and are no doubt, accelerators in a strong representative for a collective group of people within the community. I have complete confidence Oscar will utilize all the above strengths and abilities to serve the city and municipality greatly. To deliver cost savings and lower taxes. To develop relationships, to seek improvements and change, and to keep people excited to call West Bend “home.”

Mr. Oscar Estrada will receive my vote for District 7 Alderman.

Derek Brzeski  West Bend

Letter to the Editor | Overview of Dist. 7 aldermanic candidate Oscar Estrada | By Keli Ismajlaj

I’ve known Oscar Estrada for approximately 27 years. We met in College in 1993 and became close friends soon thereafter.   Initially, what drew us together was our dedication to family, work and education. After college we’ve kept in touch and worked together at several companies. On company in particular was Federal Mogul lighting in Franklin Park. They were struggling and losing over $6 million yearly.  They hired Oscar to get them out of their financial predicament. Oscar is very good at looking at situations and figuring how to best make changes that increase profits.

For example reviewing and reducing the follow,

Over producing or spending, Excess inventory, Scrap Overtime in the labor force, and Expediting freight. He is very passionate and motivates people with his vision.  In order to address the above issues he had to change the way of thinking.

First, he spent time with all the managers and employees.  Explaining how the current way of business was not in the company’s best interest.  Then he creates teams to do special events.  Once the teams accomplished their goals they’d celebrate.  This had a positive effect in the company culture and made it easier for other projects.

Second, Oscar gathered all the vendors and informed them of his vision and how we were going to control purchasing and incoming inventory.

Third, had the vendors come to the plant and showed them our Kanban or Pull system for ordering. This had a positive effect with the vendors and with our plant. Doing all this within 2+ years the plant went from losing $6M+ to making $2M.

I can go on and on about all the things that Oscar has accomplished but, I just gave a small insight into his capabilities.

That being said, I believe Oscar would be a great asset to the community. Between being a devoted husband and father who supports his daughters in their education and sports.

Some key attributes I believe he has and are very important to run a community and city are:

Creating team concepts, he knocks down barriers between departments so everyone is working for the better good. Being a Master Black Belt in Six Sigma, has skill sets that most do not have.

Thinks outside the box.  Many people have limited skill sets.  Oscar has worked in many industries and has prevailed.  As mentioned before with improvements that have a major positive effect on the company’s bottom line and morale.

Finally, another example of his effect on people, to this day some of our key professors from college still call on him to socialize or make a class presentation.

I hope this letter gives you some insight into the man Oscar Estrada.

Sincerely,

Keli Ismajlaj

Chicago, Illinois